Hi, During the staff's implementation work two procedures were recommended: 1. a version of the voting system we use(d) for electing board members and the GNSO chair, i.e. the anonymous but numbered ballots 2. an email exchange between the GNSO secretariat (Glen) and the absent council members. My recommendation is that we use option 2. Since the council votes are not anonymous, there is no need for the overhead of option 1. The process I recommend we follow, at least initially (we have the opportunity to use it at today's meeting): Whenever the council take a vote that qualifies for absentee balloting: 1. After the meeting, Glen will send the motion that was voted on to the list and will invite any absent members to send her a request for a ballot. B 2. She will send then, as individuals, them as individuals, a ballot with an option for them to vote YES, NO or ABSTAIN. If they abstain on a policy recommendation they will need to indicate a reason as is required in the current by laws. Unless it has been discussed in advance, this entire process needs to complete within 72 hours of the meeting. Reasons for extending, might include prior knowledge that one of the absent council members is out of contact for some known period. It will therefore be important before a meeting with such votes for people who are absent to let Glen know of their absence. Hope this works for people, at least as an initial implementation. We have the opportunity to use the procedure today and we have a very full meeting that will not allow for time to discuss procedural issues without something else falling off the scheule - in fact I will be surprised if we make it to all of the topics today as it is. thanks a. On 3 Sep 2008, at 22:31, Gomes, Chuck wrote:

Thanks Glen. I assume that procedures now need to be developed for absentee voting. Is they going to be developed by staff with Council approval, by staff and Council or by the Council with Board approval?

Chuck

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-----Original Message----- From: owner-council@gnso.icann.org [mailto:owner-council@gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Glen de Saint Géry Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 12:16 PM To: council@gnso.icann.org Subject: [council] ICANN bylaws section 8c Absentee voting

Dear Councillors,

Please note that the ICANN bylaws now reflect the section on Absentee voting: http://www.icann.org/en/general/archive-bylaws/bylaws-29may08.htm#X

section 8. Except as provided by paragraph 6 of this Section, the GNSO Council shall act at meetings.

c. Absentee voting. Members that are absent from a meeting at the time of a vote on whether to initiate a PDP, forward a policy recommendation to the Board, or fill a position open for election may vote by absentee ballot. The GNSO Secretariat will provide reasonable means for transmitting and authenticating absentee ballots, which could include voting by telephone, e- mail, or web-based interface. Absentee ballots must be submitted within 72 hours following the start of the meeting in which a vote is initiated, except that in exceptional circumstances announced at the time of the vote the Chair may reduce this time to 24 hours or extend the time to 7 days.

Thank you. Kind regards,

Glen

Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org